Micah Richards has praised Arsenal winger Noni Madueke’s performances since making the switch to the Emirates last summer.
Speaking after the 2-0 win over Brentford midweek, in a match which saw Madueke start ahead of Bukayo Saka, Richards said that the 23-year-old has answered the critics who doubted him after his arrival at the club:
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“I thought the link-up between White and Madueke down that side was very good. Madueke looks like a new player.”
“He came from Chelsea. A lot of question marks maybe because everyone expected him [Mikel Arteta] to get a striker in and they went for him early doors, but he’s really playing well now.”
Madueke has also received praise from his teammates
Richards is not the only one who has been impressed with Madueke. Ben White started alongside the forward against Brentford, and he paid him a massive compliment by saying that he is “no different” to Saka.
It does demonstrate the huge amount of depth that manager Mikel Arteta has at his disposal when he can rest one of his best players in Saka and bring in a replacement with no noticeable drop-off.
There are areas where the Arsenal forward can improve
While Madueke deserves recognition for how he has started life at his new club, he still needs a greater end product.
Since his £52m move from Chelsea in July, the England international has scored 1 goal and 0 assists in 10 appearances. Of course, a knee injury has hampered him somewhat, so he can be forgiven for not hitting the ground running in front of goal, but there is definitely an argument to say that he should be creating more in the final third. It is hoped that he can add this to his game over the coming weeks and months.
Read more about the Arsenal First Team Squad for 2025/26 here